Foundations, Talent, Infrastructure, and Digital ID: Ethiopia’s Enkopa Summit Marks Progress, Carves Next Steps

On October 9 and 10, Addis Ababa will host Enkopa Summit 2025, the country’s premier private-sector business and innovation forum. Since its debut in 2023, the Summit has become a crucible where Ethiopia’s reform ambitions are tested against the demands of investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. The gathering is intentionally designed to move beyond rhetoric, with curated discussions that translate into capital commitments, policy shifts, and business deals. 

The 2023 edition drew 1,200 participants from 250 organizations, featured over 150 speakers, and identified 29 local companies across diverse sectors that had the opportunity to raise up to $150,000.

Reflecting the complexity of Ethiopia’s economic transition, the agenda spans a wide range of critical topics from investment banking and guidance on listing in the recently launched securities exchange to Bitcoin, SME financing, and strategies for accessing global capital. It also covers scaling local enterprises, fintech growth, regulatory reform, universal health care, and outsourcing. 

Among these many threads, three stand out as foundational: talent or human capital, infrastructure, and digital identity; the scaffolding on which everything else rests. 

Ethiopia’s digitalization and industrial growth rely on a skilled workforce capable of leveraging emerging technologies. The 2023 Enkopa Summit identified talent scarcity as a critical barrier, spurring increased focus on national skill-building initiatives led by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MINT). With millions entering the labor market annually due to a youth demographic surge, the urgency for future-ready skills has never been greater. 

The country’s higher education system, comprising 83 universities, including 42 public institutions, is extensive, yet not fully aligned with the evolving demands of the digital economy. The central challenge lies not merely in producing more graduates, but in cultivating the right ones: professionals equipped to drive and sustain technological innovation. Speakers such as Kidus Yared, Co-Founder and CEO of Hasab AI, are expected to highlight this gap, emphasizing the strategic development of talent in high-impact fields like AI.

Parallel to talent is the need for strong physical and digital infrastructure. A month after Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD); the largest in Africa the summit underscores how the country’s new energy capacity could turn it into a power exporter in the Horn of Africa, while fueling factories, startups, and digital services at home. At the same time, broadband is expanding, with 4G and 5G pilot networks nationwide opening fresh opportunities for fintech and e-commerce. Financial infrastructure is also taking shape. The summit presents these shifts not merely as solutions to old bottlenecks, but as openings for investors and innovators to help build the backbone of a modern, competitive economy. 

Adding a global lens, Ken Shibusawa, Managing Director of Shibusawa and Company and great-grandson of Eiichi Shibusawa, a figure widely regarded as the father of Japanese capitalism, will deliver a keynote on “Building the Foundations of Prosperity: A Perspective from Japan.” Ken also represents &Capital, an impact investment fund that connects Japan’s long-term capital with global growth markets, making his participation highly relevant to Ethiopia’s ambitions. 

He will share the stage with leaders from the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, including its CEO Tilahun Kassahun (PhD), in a session that draws parallels between Japan’s modernization era and Ethiopia’s current reform moment.

Ethiopia’s emerging capital market will be in the spotlight at the summit, with CBE Capital, Awash Capital, and other new players set to discuss the role of investment banking in channeling funds to high-growth sectors. Sessions such as ‘The Next El Dorado in Africa: Banking or Fintech?’ ‘M&A Trends in Africa,’ ‘Startup Proclamation: Implementation Next Steps,’ ‘Industry vs. Tech for Development: Policy and Impact,’ ‘SME Investments in Africa,’ and ‘Gaming/Betting: The Engine of Financial Services’ capture further highlights the breadth of critical conversations expected. 

The summit is deliberately cross-sectoral, reflecting Ethiopia’s diverse economy: from healthcare and FMCG to entertainment and creative industries, no major growth frontier is left off the table. 

It is also a distinctly Global gathering, with speakers traveling to Addis Ababa from Canada, the United States, the UAE, Japan, and beyond. Among them is Salvador Perez-Galindo, former Vice President of Government Engagement at Visa, who will bring a global fintech perspective from Dubai.

The Enkopa Summit 2025 offers a unique opportunity not just to discuss Ethiopia’s economic future but to actively shape it. Taking place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Abeba, the summit brings together a vibrant mix of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and innovators in a setting designed to spark collaboration and deal-making. Beyond keynote speeches and panels, attendees benefit from specialized sessions, networking lounges, and live showcases that foster concrete partnerships.   

For those eager to be part of Ethiopia’s next chapter of investment and innovation, booking early may be the surest way to secure a seat at the table. Click here for tickets.